Do you ever wonder, as you walk by, what’s going on in the practice rooms of the Education Building, the studios in the Murray Building or the classes in the John Mitchell Building? What are the fine arts majors doing in there?

The Gordon Snelgrove Gallery, Quance Theatre and Greystone Theatre performances exist to remedy some of that mystery. This year, a new initiative adds itself to the roster of events bringing student art to the community.

We the Artists, taking place Jan. 21, is a one-night celebration of the best student work in visual art, drama and music. Organized by the student associations from each department, and featuring student submissions, it’s a new kind of event.

It’s a chance to sample work from different disciplines: think buffet.

Two stages for drama and music will be interspersed with visual art submissions.

Drama students are set to perform scenes and monologues, some of which have been adapted specifically for Saturday’s event. Students in the department’s design program will also have their projects on display.

Musical highlights include vocalist Whitney Mather, Gerard Weber on saxophone and Jaclyn Goetz’s solo piano. A jazz finale by the Jared Tehse Trio is slated to close the evening.

Between performances, the audience can take in submissions from visual art students.

In this way, the event is a survey of the best artwork being made at the University of Saskatchewan right now.

“We’re trying to bring some light to what we do,” said Adam Naismith, president of the Drama Students’ Association. “Many of the people in our departments are the future of the arts in Canada.”

Emma Anderson, president of the Visual Arts Students’ Union, agrees. “The only people that get to see our work are our classmates and our friends and our parents. This is a great mass opportunity to show our work.”

Once the event places different art forms side by side, there is also the possibility of collaboration — of artists stepping into each other’s territory.

This time, think fusion cuisine: A live-action painting by Tyson Atkins and Shaun De Rooy accompanied by improv jazz.

The event offers something to people both inside and outside the campus art community.

“Actors will probably be walking around in their costumes after their performances,” said Anderson. “You’re going to have an opportunity to talk to people performing in this event or having art in this event.”

Also, performers can interact amongst themselves.

“On campus, arts, drama and music are kind of spread out as far as they can be from each other,” Anderson said. “Say, for example, I’m in visual arts. I’m very familiar with the visual arts people who come to our shows and receptions. The same thing happens with music and drama. They have their own crowds. This event brings all those crowds together, so I’m looking forward to some talk amongst the creative communities.”

Imagining a student initiative that brings different disciplines under the same roof, it’s hard to ignore the context in which We the Artists appears.

Naismith hatched the idea for this event as a response to last year’s town hall meetings over the state of the university’s Fine Arts and Humanities programs. Mitch Bonokoski (president of the Association of Student Musicians), Anderson from VASU and Toryn Adams quickly embraced the idea.

“One message that came out of the town hall meetings was the administration’s desire to see more interdisciplinary cooperation,” explained Bonokoski. “Together, we laid out a plan that features the creative work of our three departments’ finest artists.”

“Hopefully this will encourage people to see the Fine Arts as an essential part of our university community,” he said.

And if the yet-unbuilt Clarion Project is the elephant in the room, Anderson clarifies what kind of message this event can send.

“This is doing something now and putting energy in the right kind of streams,” she said. “Students have more power than they realize and they’re capable of doing a lot.”

“It’s been really nice to see the amount of support we’ve been getting from the university and from our respective communities,” said Anderson, acknowledging the USSU, Art Placement and the Persephone Theatre.

It seems the event will be a largely unpredictable mix of its different components. For one night, a room in TCU Place will transform into an experimental artistic laboratory. Now I borrow metaphors from science class. Ah, interdisciplinary harmony!

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Poster: Supplied